07-31-2008, 01:31 AM
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Two more live bombs found in Surat, defused</b>
Manas Dasgupta
Modi visits diamond city, terms terror attacks âproxy warâ
â Photo: PTI
Live threat: A live bomb being defused in Surat on Wednesday.
AHMEDABAD: For the fourth day on Wednesday, two more powerful live bombs were defused in Surat, even as Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi visited the diamond and the art silk city and reviewed the security arrangements.
The death toll in Saturdayâs bomb blasts in Ahmedabad meanwhile has gone up to 51 with five more deaths in the hospitals. Health Minister and Cabinet spokesman Jaynarayan Vyas said as many as 212 people were injured in the bomb blasts.
In Surat one more live bomb was found near the Labheswar police chowky, about 200 metres away from where one live bomb was detected on Tuesday.
Soon after Mr. Modi left Surat to return to Gandhinagar, one more live bomb was found near the Surat municipal corporation-run swimming pool. It was found hanging from a mango tree. Both the bombs were found in the same labour-dominated Varachha Road area where 10 bombs were detected on Tuesday.
As a precautionary measure, schools and colleges, shopping malls, main markets and cinema theatres in Surat remained closed. Mr. Modi announced a reward of Rs. 51 lakh if anyone could give definite information that could lead to the busting of the terrorist network involved in the Ahmedabad blasts. To encourage âpeopleâs policing,â Mr. Modi also announced a reward of Rs. 21,000 to each person who detected and informed the police about live bombs. The reward would also be given to those who had given the first information about the blasts on Saturday, he said.
Describing the Ahmedabad blasts and planting of bombs in Surat as a âproxy war,â Mr. Modi expressed the confidence that the government and the people of the State would be able to face the challenge from the terrorists. He said if the people of the state were with him, he would not need any other help to meet the situation.
Even as the police detained two more persons from Bapunagar locality in Ahmedabad in connection with Saturdayâs bomb blasts, a local regional language television channel claimed to have received a letter sent in the name of âHarkat-ul-Jehadâ explaining the âreasonsâ behind the bomb blasts in different parts of the country.
As aired by the television channel, the letter was written in Hindi and it carried the stamp of the Shah Alam post office in the city. It declared that its âmissionâ in Gujarat had been âsuccessful and completedâ but warned that it would come back to the state if âour threats are not taken seriously.â
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It claimed that the Harkat was a âHindu organisationâ and was causing bomb blasts in different parts of the country only to âavengeâ the killing of Muslims in the Gujarat riots and would continue to take the revenge by attacking other cities and towns in the country.
It said the âreal terroristsâ were Mr. Modi, BJP leader L.K. Advani, Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Pravin Togadia, spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, the RSS, the Bajrang Dal and the VHP.
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It also claimed that after the Jaipur blasts, the Harkat had informed the Gomtipur police about the Ahmedabad blasts. âIt is not our fault that the Gomtipur police did not take us seriously.â
Security has been strengthened in the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, and other important institutions following anonymous letters threatening to blow up the university and other educational institutions. In Ahmedabad, two more were detained from Bapunagar on suspicion of involvement in Saturdayâs blasts.
Two more live bombs found in Surat, defused</b>
Manas Dasgupta
Modi visits diamond city, terms terror attacks âproxy warâ
â Photo: PTI
Live threat: A live bomb being defused in Surat on Wednesday.
AHMEDABAD: For the fourth day on Wednesday, two more powerful live bombs were defused in Surat, even as Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi visited the diamond and the art silk city and reviewed the security arrangements.
The death toll in Saturdayâs bomb blasts in Ahmedabad meanwhile has gone up to 51 with five more deaths in the hospitals. Health Minister and Cabinet spokesman Jaynarayan Vyas said as many as 212 people were injured in the bomb blasts.
In Surat one more live bomb was found near the Labheswar police chowky, about 200 metres away from where one live bomb was detected on Tuesday.
Soon after Mr. Modi left Surat to return to Gandhinagar, one more live bomb was found near the Surat municipal corporation-run swimming pool. It was found hanging from a mango tree. Both the bombs were found in the same labour-dominated Varachha Road area where 10 bombs were detected on Tuesday.
As a precautionary measure, schools and colleges, shopping malls, main markets and cinema theatres in Surat remained closed. Mr. Modi announced a reward of Rs. 51 lakh if anyone could give definite information that could lead to the busting of the terrorist network involved in the Ahmedabad blasts. To encourage âpeopleâs policing,â Mr. Modi also announced a reward of Rs. 21,000 to each person who detected and informed the police about live bombs. The reward would also be given to those who had given the first information about the blasts on Saturday, he said.
Describing the Ahmedabad blasts and planting of bombs in Surat as a âproxy war,â Mr. Modi expressed the confidence that the government and the people of the State would be able to face the challenge from the terrorists. He said if the people of the state were with him, he would not need any other help to meet the situation.
Even as the police detained two more persons from Bapunagar locality in Ahmedabad in connection with Saturdayâs bomb blasts, a local regional language television channel claimed to have received a letter sent in the name of âHarkat-ul-Jehadâ explaining the âreasonsâ behind the bomb blasts in different parts of the country.
As aired by the television channel, the letter was written in Hindi and it carried the stamp of the Shah Alam post office in the city. It declared that its âmissionâ in Gujarat had been âsuccessful and completedâ but warned that it would come back to the state if âour threats are not taken seriously.â
<span style='color:red'>
It claimed that the Harkat was a âHindu organisationâ and was causing bomb blasts in different parts of the country only to âavengeâ the killing of Muslims in the Gujarat riots and would continue to take the revenge by attacking other cities and towns in the country.
It said the âreal terroristsâ were Mr. Modi, BJP leader L.K. Advani, Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Pravin Togadia, spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, the RSS, the Bajrang Dal and the VHP.
</span>
It also claimed that after the Jaipur blasts, the Harkat had informed the Gomtipur police about the Ahmedabad blasts. âIt is not our fault that the Gomtipur police did not take us seriously.â
Security has been strengthened in the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, and other important institutions following anonymous letters threatening to blow up the university and other educational institutions. In Ahmedabad, two more were detained from Bapunagar on suspicion of involvement in Saturdayâs blasts.